Letters 10-28-04

Published 7:00 pm, Wednesday, October 27, 2004

I would like to thank the many people in the Kingwood community who have supported our family as our eight-year-old son, Ben, has battled brain cancer.

Not a day goes by that we don't marvel at the kindness of people in our lives who have become family to us.

I would especially like to thank Kingwood Baptist Church, the parents, students, and teachers of Willow Creek Elementary School (where our children attend) and Riverwood Middle School (where I work), and many of my past students and their parents. We are so appreciative of your gifts, meals, and the many prayers you've sent up for us. Members of a variety of churches have been praying for Ben; this unity of purpose has certainly strengthened us and given us immeasurable peace.

God has blessed us with such a warm, loving community!

Ruth Masters

Kingwood

My choice is Coffelt

Dear Editor:

ANM Geldens continues to defend the dismal record of State Rep. Joe Crabb, based on the opinions of anti-public education organizations that want to starve local school districts from much needed funding, in exchange for sending our children to low-performing, sectarian-leaning schools like Prepared Table Charter School and other schools that miss the bar set by the State of Texas. If anything, most of these schools that Crabb and Geldens support are not even required to meet any level of accountability and performance — which is why Joe Crabb ignored the fraud occurring at Prepared Table.

And did you know that CEOs of these small private schools make as much money as those that Geldens attacks? The difference is the superintendents Mr. Geldens unfoundedly accuses of fraud serve 27,000-plus students, while the schools he wants your tax dollars going to serve 300. Voters: Do not fall prey to ignorance! Know the facts!

Here's the BIG question: Why haven't we heard anything from the horse's mouth, Joe Crabb? All we know is that he "declines to respond." But that's all he's ever done — he has declined to respond to the funding needs of the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP); he has declined to respond to the needs of our school kids by under-funding education; and he has declined to serve his constituents in all of District 127. This is NOT representation! Where's Joe?

In regards to CHIP, Joe Crabb voted against it! He was 1 of 14 mean-spirited state representatives that voted against this legislation that provides health care to uninsured kids, and that also provides health security to our state. If families that utilize CHIP had the ability to pay for the health care purchased by people like Geldens and Crabb, they would gladly pay it; however, unlike that hazy world Crabb and Geldens live in, not everybody can afford health insurance.

So, CHIP is there to assure that our state is healthy — whether you live in Kingwood, Barrett Station or McNair (other parts of the district that Crabb has failed!). Crabb chooses to de-fund CHIP every chance he gets. Many people in the Kingwood/Atascocita area are one major illness away from bankruptcy and CHIP is there to protect their children, if adequately funded. Where's Joe?

We know Joe has been missing in action in regards to education finance — an issue affecting Humble ISD, as well as other school districts in House District 127. He and Geldens have said that education is not their priority, but it affects our district and he has failed the students of Humble ISD. For us in Kingwood, education IS the priority! Crabb always votes to starve Humble ISD from needed funding.

If the majority of HISD parents enjoy the quality education and extra-curricular programs that are currently available (yes, I said currently), they will replace Crabb with someone that will fight tooth and nail for them in the next session. Most families move to this school district because of its track record. But Joe Crabb prefers to defund schools and affect their ability to meet standards. Where's Joe?!

This race is not about Republican vs Democrat. This race is about what's good for the people of District 127 — ALL of the people. Republicans must show responsibility for the future of their children and vote Crabb out! After 10 years of Crabb, District 127 needs a representative in Austin that will truly serve all constituents — Charlotte Coffelt is that representative.

Name withheld by request

Educate yourself

Dear Editor:

Both our K-12 public education system and community college system are in a critical financial state in Texas.

While you are most aware of the funding crisis affecting our K-12 public schools, our community colleges are so strapped for cash that Texas might have to repeat what California did last year and start to turn away students.

While this is not the case at our local Kingwood College, it is the harsh reality of many colleges throughout the state.

Students in Texas deserve a representative in Austin who will fight for their interests, a representative with experience in public education and a drive to fix our funding crisis.

That representative is certainly not Joe Crabb. Not only does he not represent Texas students, he doesn't even want to hear from them. In fact, in a memo written to the Kingwood College government faculty last year, he asked that college students not contact his office because of the volume of communications that his office was receiving from Kingwood college students. I have never heard of a politician that would actually ask students NOT to be involved with the political process.

Crabb's opponent on the other hand is exactly what our Kingwood community needs in Austin. Charlotte Coffelt posses an extensive amount of experience in public education. In addition, she has the enthusiasm and drive to represent her constituents effectively. I could go on about Charlotte's experience, but brevity is best. Let Crabb's record speak for itself. Reference the Kingwood Observer to see how many campaign engagements and opportunities to submit information about himself he has missed. Do the right thing for Texas' students, teachers and educational institutions - vote Charlotte Coffelt for State Representative District 127.

Cal Pifer

Kingwood

Coffelt is concerned

Dear Editor:

The front page headline in the Oct. 13 issue of the Observer claims that "Education dominates state rep race" between the 11 year incumbent State Representative Joe Crabb and I, his Democratic challenger.

Yes, it seems quite logical that the issue of public school finance would dominate the state rep race in House District #127, since at least three of the public school districts in House District #127 were plaintiffs in the recent lawsuit against the state of Texas.

The ruling by District Judge John Dietz last month indicated that the state of Texas' public school financing system is unconstitutional, largely because of its over-reliance on homeowners property taxes to fund our public schools.

However, since no local constituents or journalists can get State Rep. Joe Crabb to comment on the state of affairs, as was ruled by District Judge John Dietz in regard to the unconstitutionality of public school finance, it's rather difficult to conclude that the issue of education is of concern to him at all.

As the writer of the article in the Observer notes, "Coffelt has criticized this (the decreasing proportion of state funding for public education) very vocally, and says that despite `the fact that the financial responsibility firmly falls within the constitutional obligation of the state of Texas, a decreasing amount of support has required local public school districts to make up a much larger difference in order to operate our neighborhood schools."

What motivates someone to seek re-election to public office and duck every opportunity to interact with the public and his opponent during the campaign season? How is the public to know what issu